Somehow everything seems bigger in the States. Often this is in fact the case with the portions of food, the ants, the flags, the cars and very often the people. But with houses it is not neccessarily the case. However, the floor plans of American homes tend to be more clever, more convenient. Even the tiniest homes have two bathrooms or an extra room to watch TV. Also, what we lack in storage in most houses here in the Netherlands, they make up for.. and then some.
Online you can find amazing sites where you can download floor plans to look at and be jealous about. I put one site, this one, to the test.
I pretend to be a husband and father of two looking for a two story 3 bedroom house with two bathrooms. One for the kids, and one for me and my lovely wife Gayle (hey, even gay guys dream of white picket fences everynow and then!). We don’t need a very big house, so we look for a detached house of anything up to 1600 square feet which is about 150m2. In the Netherlands, that is considered a nice and spacious house. In the States is is actually considered small to average. Off course we have a dog so we need a separate laundry room or storage room with direct acces to outside. I am a straight guy in this story, so I like to set things on fire, a fireplace is no luxury. Because we bought a plot with a lovely view towards the front we want a porch in the front of the house for wine and romance on summer nights. Because it hardly ever rains where we live, I don’t need a garage, but if the plans happens to have one, we wouldn’t mind.
Mmm, sounds like a nice house!
Let’s see what the site comes back with…
I like the way this house looks…
courtesy of eplans.com
courtesy of eplans.com
There are two bedrooms with a seperate bathroom upstairs. That would be the kids rooms. Downstairs however a rather small living room and dining room in one means you be on each others nerves the whole time. I guess one could break through the wall between the garage and the living room, but our little pretend family does not have the funds for that now, so… moving on.
I also like this house, it’s very Victorian almost.
courtesy of eplans.com
The floor plans give me and Gayle much to cheer about this time. It has a separate dining room, a breakfast nook, a large living room with firepace and two porches of which one partially screened. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms, one designed to be the master bedroom. However, Gayle and I can sleep downstairs and the kids can take the rooms upstairs.
courtesy of eplans.com
courtesy of eplans.com
courtesy of eplans.com
courtesy of eplans.com
The den downstairs will easily double as a TV room for the kids so Gayle and I don’t have to watch Spongebob all the time. Furthermore, when we have guests they can stay in that room as we will put a sofa bed in there that will fold out to a large queen size bed. They will have to use the bathroom upstairs, but that shouldn’t be a problem. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet for Gayles shoes and dresses. The room itself is big enough for a cosy little sitting arrangement at the foot of the bed. Also, I think we might be able to put in a fireplace as the chimney goes right through the room.
So far for pretending. I am happy with my own beau and my wonderful two story apartment in Amsterdam.
Home voyeurs.... a peek into homes 